Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Un Remédio

Alex missed school today, and I'm not saying salsa is the cure for what ails him... the salsa just gives the albóndigas an extra kick. That Wikipedia link is a Stub and could use a lot more information, but I'm too busy cooking! Albóndigas is a meatball soup, which can be as varied as any soup. I make mine with ground turkey, plenty of cilantro, garlic, harina de maíz and this and that. Hopefully a bowl or two will clear Alex's congestion and relieve his sore throat. Missing school is tough enough, but we don't want him too sick to enjoy the 3 day weekend coming up!

The salsa is not a pico de gallo or fresh salsa. I'll cook the tomatoes and jalapeño, then toss them in the blender with cilantro, some salt and pepper. It's an excellent choice with corn chips or to add to recipes that want spiciness.

I will make corn tortillas to eat with the soup and then dinner will be complete. The soup has a garden of vegetables, so I won't hassle with a salad tonight. Why do other people's salads always taste better? I always enjoy a salad made by anyone else, more than one I make. And when Geoff makes a sandwich and sits down next to me, mmmm, his sandwich is always way tasty! Thanksgiving dinner is a whole other mystery... no matter how good a Thanksgiving dinner I get at another person's home, I will still have to prepare an entire feast in my own home. November cannot finish without a turkey roasting in my oven and all the trimmings and leftovers to enjoy.

Post Dinner Update
The boys were too hungry to wait for tortillas, so I broke open a bag of Trader Joe's whole grain-poppy seed corn chips and we served up big bowls of piping hot soup. Maria was the only abstainer; she was happy eating avocado on the chips. The rest of us inhaled zucchini, carrots, celery, green onions and savory-garlic enfused turkey meat-balls. Geoff may get to sample a small bowl for breakfast, if there's any left.

Me: William, can you unload the dishwasher?
William: Can Alex help?
Me: Well, ya, but there's not much to unload and I get to fill it up again.
William: Want me to load the dishwasher?
Me, grinning: I love you!